Slimmer Ryan Baer Sheds Light on New Pitt Linemates

Coming out of North High School in Eastlake, Ohio, Ryan Baer landed a lot of impressive scholarship offers before ultimately choosing the Pitt Panthers. 

In the 2022 recruiting class, he landed scholarship offers from Kentucky, Nebraska, Michigan State, Notre Dame, South Carolina,  Tennessee, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and many others. 

After preserving his redshirt in 2022, the massive tackle played in 11 games as a redshirt freshman in 2023, starting in nine of those contests. Last year, he was crucial up front for the Panthers, starting all 13 games while sliding from his main spot on the right side to the protect the quarterback’s blind side when Pitt’s starting left tackle went down with an injury. 

“I’m back at right tackle right now,” Baer said in the spring camp press conference available on YouTube. “I feel a lot better at right tackle but, obviously, I want to be able to play both just in case, like, anything happens like last year. But I’m at right (tackle).”

A key element to Baer moving back to his primary position is Jeffrey Persi, the 6-foot-8, 310-pound left tackle the Panthers plucked out of the transfer portal.

Persi is one of three new offensive linemen from the portal, including Keith Gouveia and Kendall Stanley. Baer shed light on all three in that recent post-practice press conference. 

“Obviously, just experience,” Baer said regarding Persi’s contribution to the O-Line. “Older guy, and like you said, he came from Michigan which has been one of the top O-Lines for the past two or three years. So, from what he’s learned from their coach down there in the top O-Line guys that were at Michigan. So, he just brings a lot of experience and a different view from a different school.”

“Kendall (Stanley) is athletic, I’d say,” Baer added. “He’s a little meaner but he can move and he’s still strong. And Keith (Gouveia) is that tough interior guard that you want. So, I’m really excited for all three of the guys that we brought in. They looked really good.”

According to Baer, the newcomers fit well within the Pitt offensive line on and off the field. 

“They’ve came in and they fit in right away,” Baer said. “It’s not like they came in and they were outcasts because they were new. That’s one thing I noticed. We kind of created a bond right away. As soon as they got here, we started doing O-Line dinners, started hanging out a little bit so we got to know them and their background where they came from.”

As Baer continues to work at right tackle with vital flexibility to play on the left side if needed, he’s trimmed down from his previous weight in the 6-foot-7, 330-pound range. 

“I’m the lightest I’ve been since my junior year of high school. I’ve really tried to home-in on my body,” Baer said. 

“I’m down to like 319 right now. So, I’m just trying to slim down, obviously, a different style of offense.

“I feel great. I feel a lot more in shape and a little more agile. So, I definitely feel different.”

It’ll be interesting to watch the reconstructed offensive line unit perform in the upcoming spring game versus a Pitt defensive front that returns multiple starters and high-quality linebackers, led by All-American Kyle Louis.